By — Shyamal Sinha
Yoga guru and co-founder of Patanjali Ayurved Limited Baba Ramdev launched Coronil, a medicine which he claims is the first evidence-based medicine for Covid-19. It was launched in the presence of Minister of Health and Family Welfare Harsh Vardhan. At the launch, a research paper was also released on Coronil. Along with him, Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari was also present at the event. The company claims that the medicine called Divya Coronil tablet is part of the treatment for the coronavirus.
At the event, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said that post Covid-19 pandemic, the growth rate of ayurveda has risen to 50-90 percent which used to be 15-20 percent in the previous years. Saying that ayurveda has a Rs 30,000 crore economy, he said that this rise indicates that people are accepting it. Harsh Vardhan added that there are improvements in exports and foreign direct investment (FDI) as well.
Patanjali CEO Acharya Balkrishna was also present at the event that was held at the Constitution Club, New Delhi.
The ayurvedic medicine was initially launched in June 2020 with the claim that it is a cure for Covid-19, however it was approved as an immunity booster by the central government. In an absence of medical research that could support the claims of the company, Coronil kit was being sold as an immunity booster.
Ramdev claims that the medicine has also received certification from the World Health Organization and can be exported to as many as 158 countries.
“This certification will remove the misconception about it in people’s mind as it cures COVID also,” Ramdev said, adding “it will work against asymptomatic, symptomatic and severe (cases) also. We have data for that.”
“It received a huge response despite all controversies. We have data which suggests that more than one crore people have consumed it,” he added.
Ramdev further said Coronil will help humanity while providing sustainable and affordable treatment.
“Some people manufacture medicines for their business but we have done it for treatment and welfare of the public (upchar aur upkar ke bhavna se),” he said.
Currently in advanced medical science, there is no known cure for Covid-19, and vaccines are the only way to protect people from the virus. If infected, there is a combination of drugs and other treatments that can be used to control the symptoms of Covid-19.
Patanjali spokesperson S K Tijarawala said Coronil has done a business of ₹500 crore in the last seven months.
Coronil has been developed by Patanjali Research Institute. It had started work on an ayurvedic remedy for COVID-19 in January 2020.
